Mediation and Conflict Management
Mediation and Conflict Management
The tool for delivering these tangible and sustainable benefits to communities is the Community Engagement Standards (CES).
Extractive companies especially, face rising expectations to do more than simply mitigate negative impacts, they are expected to be sources of economic opportunity and to be reliable and trustworthy partners and neighbours. Extractive companies are expected to deliver lasting social and economic benefits to the areas where they have their footprints. The tool for delivering these tangible and sustainable benefits to communities is the Community Engagement Standards (CES).
Over the years, companies have engaged communities and sundry stakeholders, unfortunately with less than inspiring results. The team at CSR-in-Action developed the Community Engagement Standards to ensure smooth and effective interactions between extractive companies and their host communities.
With support from Facility for Oil Sector Transformation (FOSTER 2) in Nigeria; an organisation working to promote transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, CSR-in-Action carried out interventions that would lead to a reduction in oil loss from refinery operations and oil theft.
The Community Engagement Standards
At CSR-in-Action, one of our key expertise is community engagement. In 2018, the Community Engagement Standards (CES), a world-class framework was co-developed in Nigeria by CSR-in-Action and indigenous stakeholders from host communities, business, civil society and government at local, state, and federal levels across the nine oil-producing states to guide best practice community engagement for companies and key government agencies. To accomplish this, we conducted research based on the request of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The research was funded by Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reforms (FOSTER), a Department for International Development (DFID) initiative. Our overall research focus was Reducing Loss from Refinery Operations and Oil Theft.
The aim of the CES is to ensure inclusive development and shared prosperity whilst positioning host community members as key actors in decision-making processes.
A key part of the Community Engagement Standards was the development of indicators which would serve as matrix for engagement.
The Community Engagement Standards has since been endorsed by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and its partner agencies, including DPR, NCDMB and NEITI.